Friday, January 28, 2011

Asian Coleslaw

We cannot leave this month's veggie without a recipe for coleslaw. And not just the basic, generic coleslaw but a wonderful variation. I love peanut butter and tahini both--sometimes it's a tough choice for me, but when I noticed that tahini could be substituted for the peanut butter in this recipe, I was hooked. The tahini is a good choice for those with an allergy to peanuts and toasted sesame seeds can be substituted for the peanuts. This is a good side dish to serve with chicken, fish, or burgers--including the veggie variety.

I, for one, cannot wait to try this recipe. And I have cabbages in the fridge!
Cleo, Food Bank volunteer

Ingredients

1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

6 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

4 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (if seasoned rice vinegar is not available, add a teaspoon or two of sugar to regular rice vinegar)

4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (Napa, green, purple, or a combination)

1/2 cup grated carrots

1/4 cup toasted, salted, shelled, peeled peanuts

Optional

Chopped fresh cilantro

Thinly sliced green onions or chives

Method

1. Prepare dressing. Place peanut butter in a medium bowl. Add the vegetable oil and the toasted sesame oil and whisk until nicely smooth. Whisk in the seasoned rice vinegar and do a taste test. Depending on how you like your dressing, how salty your peanut butter is, how seasoned your rice vinegar is, you may want to add a little more vinegar, a little more sugar, or a little salt. (Makes about 3/4 cup of dressing.)

2. Toast the peanuts. Although the roasted peanuts from the store may already be cooked, you'll gent even better flavor with just a little toasting. Heat a small skillet on medium high heat and add the nuts to the pan. Do not ignore or the nuts can easily burn. Stir a little with a wooden spoon until the peanuts begin to get browned in spots and you can smell the toasting aromas. Remove peanuts from pan to a dish.

3. In a large bowl, toss the sliced cabbage, grated carrots, and peanuts together and any other optional ingredients you care to add (like a little chopped cilantro or green onions). Right before serving, mix in the dressing.